Uhelna loziska Faerskych ostrovu

The coal mining in the Faroe Islands continued throughout the whole of 20th century. Adits were driven to extract coal at localities where coal beds of the Prestfjall Formation are exposed on the surface. In addition to the extracted Prestfjall Fm. there also exist coal-bearing strata confined to the older Beinisvor? Fm. Currently, there is only one mine (New Prestfjall Mine) in operation where the coal is of high quality, similar to anthracite, due to the contact metamorphism of coal beds with basalt lava flows. Xylitic type of coal was often found in other deposits. The majority of abandoned coal mines lie in the north part of the Su?uroy Island. Old adits and other mine workings are mostly burried under basalt block slides or other slope deformations, and also overgrown by vegetation. Some of them are still accessible, but are relatively unstable. The size of coal waste dumps and wrecks of mining equipment indicate the scope of mining operations in the past. Some abandoned mines, including that one in operation, have problems with the draining groundwater. On the other hand, there can be observed some coal seams and lenses in sedimentary sequences near the coastline, but were not systematically extracted due to their small thickness, poor quality and difficult access. Coal samples were collected in the majority of observed coal deposits and analyzed using X-ray fluorescence method. Geochemical character of analyzed samples allows to distiguish coal of the Beinisvor? Fm. from that confined to the Prestfjall Fm. Coal from the locality of Rókhagi was formed within the local limnic basins, however we can not exclude a fluvial-related origin for the other coal profiles.

References

Ellis, D. - Bell, B. R. - Jolley, D. W. - O'Callaghan, M. (2002): The stratigraphy, environment of eruption and age of the Faroes Lava Group, NE Atlantic Ocean. In: Jolley, D. W. - Bell, B. R., ed.: The North Atlantic Igneous Province: Stratigraphy, Tectonic, Volcanic and Magmatic Processes. - Geol. Soc. London Spec. Publ. 197, 253-269.

Passey, S. R. (2014): The habit and origin of siderite spherules in the Eocene coal-bearing Prestfjall Formation, Faroe Islands. - Int. J. Coal Geol. 122, 76-90.

Passey, S. R. - Jolley, D. G. (2009): A revised lithostratigraphic nomenclature for the Palaeogene Faroe Islands Basalt Group, NE Atlantic Ocean. - Earth Env. Sci. Transact. Royal Soc. Edinburgh 99, 127-158.

Rasmussen, J. - Noe-Nygaard, A. (1970): Geology of the Faeroe Islands (pre-quaternary). - 62 str. C. A. Reitzels Forlag. Kobenhavn.

Storey, M. - Duncan, R. A. - Tegner, C. (2007): Timing and duration of volcanism in the North Atlantic Igneous Province: implications for geodynamics and links to the Iceland hotspot. - Chem. Geology 241, 264-281.

Taylor, S. R. - McLennan, S. M. (1995): The geochemical evolution of the continental crust. - Rev. Geophys. 33, 241- 265.